A sad news story from close to home. Jacky Harding, a resident of Islingword Street and former city councillor, has died at the tragically young age of 45.
Blog
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On past 3000
Helen Cammack joins the call to the Democratic Society’s question calibration test. We are almost at 3,000 answers: let’s drive that data on down! Take the test.
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Red Lion, Handcross
Off to Nymans Garden near Crawley for a look at their Christmas trail.
The cafe was full, so we stepped across the road to the Red Lion. It’s been too long since my last country pub lunch, and it was a real pleasure. Hop branches on the walls and friendly service. Good unpretentious roast beef, yorkshire pudding and a pint of Harveys. Real Old England stuff, and a great treat on a winter’s day. -
Beach House Cafe
Massive kudos to the Beach House Cafe on the beach by King’s Road playground. Great coffee and amazingly friendly staff. They even let me pop back with money later when I found myself short.
Now that’s service!
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It’s a cry for help, really
The Department for Work and Pensions are getting a bit disaffected, it seems.
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Halo How Not To Be Seen
The audio of Monty Python’s How Not To Be Seen, with visuals courtesy of first-person shooter Halo. (via MeFi)
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Your eating is out of control
Fascinating article in Salon (click-through advert or subscription only, sorry) interviewing Brian Wansink, an expert in things like portion sizes and cues. Wansink is plugging his new book, which does look pretty interesting, and talks at length about how the size of serving bowls, the size of plates, and the way tables are laid affects how much we eat. Comes with handy tips about minimising food intake at Christmas parties.
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Words and meaning
Some aimless wandering on the web, via the BBC World Service theme tune “Lillibullero”, leads me to the Ulster protestant folk song, The Protestant Boys (which is sung to the same tune).
Reading the lyrics, I’m struck by how we forget the meaning of old lyrics very easily. I doubt that most people would feel comfortable singing the Protestant Boys, with verses like:
When treason was rampant and traitors were strong
And law was defied by a vile rebel throng
When thousands were banded the throne to cast down
The Protestants rallied and stood by the Crown
And oft in fight, by day and night
They countered the rebels in many a fray
Where red pikes were bristling
And bullets were whistling
The Protestant Boys still carried the day.But so much of that discomfort is due to Protestant-Catholic violence being still fresh in our minds. Tony Blair happily sings:
The people’s flag is deepest red,
It shrouded oft our martyred dead,
And ere their limbs grew stiff and cold,
Their hearts blood dyed its every fold.And Jacques Chirac will at least mouth along to:
Aux armes, citoyens !
Formez vos bataillons !
Marchons ! marchons !
Qu’un sang impur
Abreuve nos sillons !Even though the ancient enmities are preserved, like Jurassic DNA, in the amber of the lyrics.